In the usual fight between a cable provider and a content provider, it’s a matter of money. For the sudden fight between Spectrum and Disney, it goes deeper than that.
“This is not the typical carriage dispute,” Charter Communications Chief Executive Chris Winfrey said on a Friday call with analysts, via Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal.
The situation is keeping ESPN and ABC away from nearly 15 million Charter customers nationwide.
The issue is streaming. Charter objects to forcing its customers to subsidize streaming operations, without getting access to the streaming services. Charter claims it has agreed to financial terms requested by Disney (which owns ESPN and ABC), but that Charter wants ad-supported version of Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu to be included in the package for Spectrum customers. Disney won’t do it.
Charter pointed out in a statement that Disney’s effort to prioritize streaming has resulted in significant viewership declines in sports and other areas.
“I’m disappointed that Disney so far has insisted on higher prices forcing customers to take their products when they don’t want them or can’t afford them and asking us to require customers to pay for direct-to-consumer apps, their linear fees already paid for,” Winfrey said on the call.
The clock is ticking. Spectrum operates in New York and Los Angeles. And the first Monday night game of the year is only 10 days away.